


Carry Me Out

by VergerBloom



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst, Declarations Of Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Murder Husbands, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Protective Will Graham, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, Will takes care of Hannibal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VergerBloom/pseuds/VergerBloom
Summary: Will nodded. "I dream of your eyes too, bright against the shoreline." He kisses Hannibal's fist. "I thought I was dead."Hannibal stilled suddenly, face clouding. "So did I."Will smiled sadly. "And you carried me anyway."Will tends to Hannibal's wounds after their fall.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 7
Kudos: 112





	Carry Me Out

Will awoke to the scent of blood.

At first he believed he was still asleep; he often had nightmares, the same nightmare, that he was drowning in a churning sea of red so dark it appeared black, the sheen of moonlight fading into nothing as he sank into the depths. 

He shook himself awake, disoriented, to find that the dream had followed him into the waking world; the sheets of their country house bed were stained claret, saturating the fabric and the tightly-wrapped gauze around Hannibal's midriff. 

"Hannibal," he started in a daze, pulling off the comforter and pressing a hand to his cheek. "Hannibal, wake up, you're bleeding..." Hannibal's eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep, although they brightened in alarm as he pressed his palm to the bandages. It came away red. 

"Bathroom, let's go to the bathroom," Will said, trying to keep the panic from straining his voice. He'd seen Hannibal broken in all kinds of ways, watched him bound, shot, pitched them over the edge of a cliff not two months before. Something was different now, demonstrably, something that changed as soon as they hit the water; they had embraced each other in life and in death, and Will wanted the former to continue, wanted to keep Hannibal as close as possible, under his hands. 

"Put your arm around me," Will directed, slipping one of Hannibal's arms around his shoulders and pressing his hand gently to his hip. Hannibal nodded wordlessly, the only signifier of his pain a faint grimace as Will cradled his waist and led him to the bathroom. The sun had just begun to rise outside the window, painting the room in colours of the flesh, pinks and golds and muted violet. Will gently lowered Hannibal onto the edge of the tub, kneeling in front of him to unwrap the gauze. Hannibal hissed through his clenched teeth, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

"I'm sorry," Will said quietly, a pang ringing through his chest. He had to suppress it, focus on the practical. He briefly pressed his face to Hannibal's cheek before going to the cabinet, rifling through the drawer until he found the first aid kit. He threaded the needle quickly, despite the tremble of his fingers, and returned to his position at Hannibal's feet. 

Hannibal had a look in his eye Will had only seen glimpses of before, in quiet, still, moments. It was the same look he had when he thought Will had been killed by Tobias, and he emerged, unscathed, from the wreckage and into Hannibal's office. 

Will worked silently, eyes downcast, lips pressed together in concentration. He thought of all the times they had harmed each other, maimed one another, sent missionaries to kill each other. As he took in Hannibal's impassive face and pale, flushed, cheeks, vulnerable beneath his hands as he gently wrapped fresh gauze around the stitching, it felt as though he were recounting someone else's memories, like a dream that had followed him out of the dark and into the day.

The morning sun had risen now, wan light casting Hannibal in gold like some primordial myth. Will breathed deeply, setting the needle on the floor. 

"Thank you," Hannibal said simply, pressing a hand to his abdomen. He attempted to stand, but Will pushed him gently back down by his shoulders. 

"Rest, I'll get you cleaned up," Will said softly, rising to rinse his hands in the sink. He daubed the strips of gauze with alcohol and lowered himself gently next to Hannibal on the edge of the tub, brushing a stray hair from his forehead. He began to dab at the blood stains on Hannibal's jaw, trailing down to his chest. Hannibal was watching him, eyes tracing his face. 

"You know, if it weren't for the way we fell, we would've died when we hit the water," he twined a stray curl around his finger. "You saved us."

Will kept his eyes down, daubing Hannibal's chin. "I didn't know I was saving us," he murmured, placing the pink-stained gauze on the edge of the tub. He raised his eyes to Hannibal's heavy gaze. "I thought I was...ending it. Ending our story."

Hannibal nodded lightly, a smile in his eyes. "Were you regretful, the moment our feet left the ledge?"

Will stilled for a moment, studying his face. He felt as though they were the only two people left on earth, suddenly, everything vanishing into dust and smoke behind them, leaving only this room and the sound of Hannibal's steadying heartbeat. "No," he replied finally, twining his hands in his lap. "I felt...still, like I was made of air," he continued quietly, lifting his eyes up to Hannibal's. "I felt your heartbeat against my cheek, that's all," his voice was faraway, like he was recounting a story, "I counted five beats before we hit the water."

Hannibal's eyes softened imperceptibly. "Do you remember the cold? I do."

Will shook his head, hair brushing Hannibal's cheek. "I remember the fall, and waking up after the fall." He pressed his face to Hannibal's shoulder. "I remember you carrying me out."

Hannibal smoothed Will's hair away from his forehead. "Perhaps that's why you dream of it, drowning; it's your mind's way of filling in the missing pieces." The call of a hawk outside the window cut through the stillness, as though punctuating Hannibal's words. 

Will nodded. "I dream of your eyes too, bright against the shoreline." He kisses Hannibal's fist. "I thought I was dead."

Hannibal stilled suddenly, face clouding. "So did I."

Will smiled sadly. "And you carried me anyway."

He slipped his hands through Hannibal's hair and kissed him square on the mouth, careful not to brush the gauze. Hannibal pulled away gently, pressing his face into Will's throat. "I couldn't leave without you."

**Author's Note:**

> <3


End file.
